Phl mayor killed over mining issue?

MAYOR Carlito Pentecostes of Gonzaga, Cagayan in Northern Philippines died on the spot in a daylight ambush staged by three men in camouflaged uniform while attending a flag-raising ceremony in front of the town hall Monday morning. A flash report said Pentecostes had been in the forefront of a controversy after a group of town residents picketed the office of a foreign mining company for violating the country’s environmental laws. They accused the mayor as brains behind the operation of black sand mining in Gonzaga town. Rep. Mel Senen Sarmiento had earlier sought a congressional inquiry into the recurring environmental problems involving foreign and local mining companies in the country. In Resolution 950, Sarmiento urged the House Committee on Ecology to include in its probe the unabated black sand mining in Northern Philippines. He also called on the concerned government agencies to strictly implement the environmental laws and monitor the activities of foreign and local mining companies. "Despite extravagant showcases of responsible mining operations, mining companies have violated the country's environmental laws," Sarmiento said. He noted that a total of 1.5 million cubic meters of toxic mine tailing from Marcopper Mining Corp. were disgorged into the Maculapnit and Boac Rivers in Marinduque on March 24, 1996. In August 1999, the Atlas Mining Development Corp. discharged 5.7 million cubic meters of acidic wastewater into the Sapangkau River in Toledo City, Cebu. The Lafayette Inc. spilled mine tailings with cyanide, which caused fish kills, paralyzing the livelihood of poor fishermen in Rapu-rapu, Albay and some fishing villages in Sorsogon. Some 20 million metric tons of sediment from the tailing pond of Philex Mining Corp. in Tuba, Benguet flowed into water channels in August 2012. "After months of recurring leakages, the Philex mine spills had become the biggest mining disaster in the Philippines in terms of volume," Sarmiento said. He stressed the urgent need for the government to address the prevalent problems resulting from non-compliance of mining companies with environmental laws in all stages of their operations.

For our international users, please be aware that the information you submit when registering for our services is collected in the United States of America. In addition to being subject to our Privacy Policy, the collection, storage, and use of your data will be subject to U.S. laws and regulations, which may be different from the laws and regulations of your home country. By registering for this service, you are consenting to this collection, storage, and use.

Create your screen name

Please create a screen name. This screen name will be associated with your
iReport stories and comments on this site.
It cannot be changed once you make a selection.